The Miami Dolphins opened up a new era in franchise history on Thursday when they officially introduced former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach.
McDaniel will have a number of dilemmas to address in his first season with the Dolphins, which include exploiting the potential of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star is coming off of quite a roller-coaster campaign where he helped lead the team to a seven-game winning streak and also saw his name in the trade rumor mill over the first two months of the season.
Overall, McDaniel is much confident in what Tagovailoa will bring to the team next season, but he also sees that success for Miami will not come down to a single player, which he touched on during his introductory press conference.
“I'm not sitting here concerned with how good Tua can be; I'm concerned with, as a collective unit, what we can grow together because that's what wins football games,” McDaniel said. “I haven't seen a quarterback win a football game by himself ever, really.
“He has to have somebody to throw to, he better not be getting tackled before he throws so somebody better block, and the defense had better not allow them to score but the biggest thing for me with Tua is that I want him to come in and work every day, and I'm very confident that he will.”
The Dolphins did see multiple talents on the offensive side of the ball form keen chemistry with Tagovailoa over the 2021 campaign, including rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle. Still, as McDaniel noted, it sure will take a collective effort from the Dolphins to succeed in the coming seasons.
For now, a crucial offseason awaits McDaniel and the Dolphins front office.
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